Control the fragmentation.
Mental growth stops in adulthood. At least that’s what we are told and experiencing today. Right this very moment.
Our minds are viewed as being separate and distinct from our bodies. Physical training and exericse is real. We see individuals drop weight for movies or your neighbor starts running half-marathons for fun. We know that it’s possible. We see it. We even dabble in it, too, with diets, with vitamins, with jazzy meals. As we aim to improve our physical bodies, most of us are unaware that we need to change our minds.
Mental training leads us directly to cognitive, emotional, and ethical changes. Yet, the concept of mental training is barely entertained, and seems only reserved for the professional athletes, Olympians, or elites. We really can change for the better, and should be viewed as the “new norm of human growth.” A purposeful growth that we strive for in order to helps us intellectually, in our relationships, in our careers, etc. What age do we start having this mental conversation of change? During a mid-life crisis? When a loved one dies? When you are diagnosed with an illness? We have all become mentally fatigued, and we aren’t even aware of it most of the time.
This is where meditation becomes practical because we learn awareness. Meditation is not prescribed by doctors; not taught by teachers at school, and only now becoming more of a fitness trend – like yoga or pilates. Meditation is not mindfulness. That is a quality, which is received as we become aware of our feelings, thoughts, judgments, and expectations. It becomes fine-tuned with attention and daily practice (yes, make it a habit!).
Meditation shows us what is missing. Once you know how to meditate, you learn all the chaos and suffering is born from our lack of insight. All the conflict, fear, mistrust, and disorder are simply symptoms of our minds being out of control. Next time you are angry or sad…how long will you lock yourself into that emotion? Do you stay there playing it over in your head, or let it roll off your shoulders? What actual progress do you make when you are angry or sad?
The benefit of meditation gives you the freedom to “get off the rollercoaster ride”. By being aware that you experiencing (or holding onto an experience from the past), you can recognize it and start to let it pass. It starts with some light mental stretching and breathing as your warm up. You have to take control of the fragmented thoughts. For example, can you read a book for an hour without checking your email or social media? How about eating a peaceful dinner with no phones or technology at the table? No distractions. No stimuli. Why? There is an ongoing war for our attention and most of us are loosing it.
When you start to take back control of your mind, you start to make changes for the better in your life. Many of us, young and old, want to change the world. As we gain insight and mental strength, we learn that our mental and physical well-being changes; not the world. Learn the practice of meditation.